Improvement in barriers for draw-bridges



A. R. SHERMAN. Barrier for Draw-Bridges.

No. 206,046. Patented July 16, 1878.

INVENTOR.

NFETERS. PHDT-LYMOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ALBERT R. SHERMAN, OF NATICK, ASSIGNOR TO STEPHEN A. JENKS, OF LINCOLN,RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN BARRIERS FOR DRAW-BRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,046, dated July 16,1878; application filed June 22, 1878.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. SHERMAN, of Natick, in the county of Kentand State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Draw-Bridges, which improvements are fully described inthe following specification and illustrated in the aecompanying drawing,making apart of the same, in Which- Figure l represents, in perspective,one-half of a draw-bridge having my improvements. Fig. 2 shows aperspective view of the hooked bar used in operating the barrier to beplaced acrossthe thor-oughfareapproaehingthebridge. Fig. 3 represents,in perspective, a portion of the said barrier. Fig. 4 shows, inperspective, the counter-weight and goose-neck hook suspending the sameupon a chain; and Fig. 5 represents a vertical section of a portion ofthe bridge and abutment, showing position of barrier, hooked bar, andsuspended counter- Weight when the thoroughfare is closed and the bridgeready to be swung.

The improvements hereinafter described have reference to that class ofdraw-bridges which are moved in a horizontal plane, the same being knownas swinging draw bridges; and they particularly relate 7 first, to theplacing of barriers upon the abutments of the bridge to close thethoroughfare or road approaching the bridge when the same is to be swungto allow of the passage of vessels, and to the removal and suspension ofthe said barriers when the draw has been returned to place that travelmay proceed; second, to an ar rangement by which the barriers may bedeposited upon and removed from the abutments by the attendant whoswings the draw, he being located upon the central portion of the drawand operating the barriers from such position, the said, arrangementaffording great convenience of manipulation and saving a great amount oftime in closing and opening the thoroughfare.

Devices have been 1u use for the purpose of closing the roadway leadingto a draw-bridge; but they have required attendants to be located uponthe abutments, or ,have necessitated the presence of the draw-operatoror other person at each end of the bridge before the draw could beswung, causing either considerable expense or much loss of time to bothland and water travel.

The objects, therefore, of my invention are, first, in connection with adraw-bridge, to furnish barriers which, when deposited upon theabutments of the bridge, shall completely close the thoroughfare to bothvehicles and pedestrians; and, second, to provide arrangements by whichthe attendant who works the draw may conveniently and without loss oftime deposit upon and remove the said barriers from the abutments whilein his position upon the central portion of the draw.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that but one abutment andone-half of the draw is shown, and for convenience will only beconsidered; but it is to be understood that both ends of the draw andboth abutments are furnished with the devices shown and now to bedescribed.

As illustrated at Fig. l, A represents lthe draw, which is supplied withthe usual suspension-trusses B B, and has the usual central support toallow of rotation. At each end of the draw is located a gallows-frame,7composed of uprights C, and cross-beam C', each pair of uprights beingsupplied with two sprocket-wheels, as at D, which engage with endlesschains E E, the two upper wheels being upon a shaft, F, which operatesto transmit motion from one pair of wheels to the other. Located uponthe shaft F is another sprocket-wheel, as at D1, which engages with anendless chain or equivalent, El, which also passes around and is engagedby a sprocketwheel, as at D2, located at the center of the draw upon thetruss B, and operated by means of the endless chain E2, or any preferredmechanism. Securely attached to the chains E E is a cross-bar, as at G,Figs. l and 2, having dependent hooks g g, whose office is to engagewith eyes h h on the barrier H, Figs. 1 and 3, the said bar G, hooks gg, and chains E E operatin g, when worked, to raise, hold suspended, andlower the said barrier H, which, to close the thoroughfare, is to bedeposited uponposts, as at I, located upon the abutment K, the barrierbeing provided with socketed projections h to receive the said posts. Toassist in raising thc barrier, and to obviate the necessity' of a Stopmechanism to prevent the chains from ruiming back by force of thegravity of the barrier Il when it is in a raised position, the chains EE are each supplied with a counterweight, L, each weight being attachedto a two-part goose-neck hook, Nl, Figs. 1 and 4, which straddles thechain l and is securely attached thereto, hanging the weights L betweenthe uprights as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. A pair ot' these weights Lexactly balances the barrier ll, so that the operator in raising orlowering it only has friction to overcome; or the said weights may bemade to slightly overbalance the barrier to pcrt'ectly insure itsremaining up, aml the operator thereby be assisted in raising thebarrier and be obliged to exert but little more toree in loweringl it.\Vhen, however. the barrier has been deposited on the posts lpreparatory to swinging the draw, it is necessary before the operationcan be performed to clear thc hooked bar (l from engagement with the.barrier by so lowering the said bar that the hooks f/ 1/ pass ont ot'the eyes /i l`i, assuming the position shown at Fig. 5. rlhe weight ot'the barrier is therefore removed from the chains E l; and when it isremembered that the weights L act as a counter-balance to the barrier,it will be seen that, to prevent the hooks r/ y from becoming againengaged by a retrograde motion ot' the Weights and chains. it is eithernecessary for a locking device to be applied to the mechanism directlyoperated by the attendant or for the chains li E to be relieved ot' thet'orce ot` the weights L. Either lnethod may be adopted; but l prct'erthe latter, and accomplish the object through the agency ot' thegoose-neck hooks M, which. inst betbre the barrier is seated upon theposts I, gradually take bearing upon the upper sprocket-wheels D D, sothat bythe time the hooks g1g are cleared from the eyes on the barrierthe up per or curved portion of the hooks M will be found seated uponthe said sprocket-wheels, as shown at Fig. 5, and the weights L suspended thereon, and their t'oree removed t'rom the chains E 1, allowingthe attendant to immediately give his attention to working the draw. Theweights, however, may be sus pended in any other manner, as, t'orinstance,

by Seating them on pins, hooks, or other dcvices attached to theuprights (T t.

Having described my improvements, l will proceed to their operation.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when the drawis closed the I barrier is carried by the end ot' the draw and heldsuspended on the gallows-frame. When it is desired for any reason toclose the thor- 1' oughfare, the attendant upon theI central portion ofthe bridge, by working the chain E2, 1 revolves thc sprocket-wheels l)land l), and i consequently the chains El and E E, thereby lowering thebarrier and depositing it upon l the posts l. The chains E E, with theiraccoml panying hooked bar G, are then still farther lowered to clear thehooks g g from the barriereyes li l1, which operation raises the weightsL and carries the upper portion ot' the goose-neck hooks M over and ontothe sprocket-wheels, thereby suspending the weights.

'hen it is desired to open the thoroughfare the operation is thereverse, the mechanism being worked to raise the hooks g g intoengagement with the barrier-eyes h h, during which time the goose-neckhooks M pass ott' the sprocketwheels, and the force ot' thccounter-weights L is brought into play to balance the barrier, which isjust 011 the point ot being raised. A still further operation ot' themechanism in the same direction raises the barrier into the desiredposition as shown by full lines at 1"ig.1 of the drawing, where it isheld suspended by the counter-weights L.

In the description above given the closing ofthe thoroughfare at but oneend ot' the bridge has been considered; but it is to be understood, astirst stated, that the draw is supplied with barriers at both ends, alnlwith duplicate mechanism to Work them. Those portions ot' such mechanismdirectly operated by the attendant are located in close proximity at thecenter ot' the draw, so that he may conveniently and without loss ot'time raise or deposit both barriers at one aml the sametimc, it beingonlynecessary tbr him to grasp the endless chains E2 each with a haml toperform the operation.

Should the position ot' vehicles or pedestrians, or any other cause,render it undesirable to lower both barriers at the same time, eithermay be worked separately Without the attendant movingt'rom his positionat the chains E2.

It is to be understood that I do not claim the exact mechanism foroperating' the barriers herein shown and described, for this may bevaried without departing from the spirit ot' my invention; but

'hat l do claim, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is-

1. For closing the thoroughfare leading to a draw-bridge, a barrierwhich, when in a raised position, is suspended upon and carried by thedraw, and which, when the thoroughfare is to be closed by it, isdeposited upon the bridge-abutment and disconnected from the said drawby mechanism contained upon and operated from the draw, substantially asdescribed and shown.

2. In combination with a drawfbridge, a barrier for closing thethoroughfare leading to the bridge, and mechanism wholly contained uponthe draw for depositing the said barrier upon the bridge-abutment andremoving it therefrom, substantially as described and shown, and l'orthe purposes specified.

ALBERT R. SHERMAN. \`\'itnesses:

XY. ll. TmTRsToN, J. t`. I3. \\'oons.

